McGrath to seek Cabinet approval for review of ethics legislation

Top public officials and judges face tighter oversight and greater obligations under overhauled ethics rules, which would also place a legal prohibition on the use of confidential information.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath will seek Cabinet approval on Tuesday to publish a review of ethics legislation and start the process of drafting new laws on ethics in public office.

The new reforms are expected to include revised disclosure obligations for senior public officials and the inclusion of the judiciary in a consolidated regime for standards in public life. The report is informed by the work of tribunals of inquiry and the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).

The reforms are also expected to provide for consistent standards applying at both local and national government level. Mr McGrath will also update the Cabinet on the review of Freedom of Information legislation. He is expected to say the goal is to have a robust system while also reducing the volume of requests. A final report and legislation is planned for 2023.

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Mr McGrath will also tell the Cabinet that of €2 billion set aside for Ukraine-related spending, €1.5 billion has been spent. He will say €650 million is being provided for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme next year, while the costs of extending the Building Momentum public pay deal are being provided to individual departments.

Cabinet is also expected to approve a €10 million Government fund designed to prevent people being cut off by utilities this winter. The fund is contained in a new energy poverty action plan, being brought to Cabinet by Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan.

However, the updated Climate Action Plan (CAP), which contains the fine detail of actions to reduce carbon emissions, will not be ready in time for Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, meaning it will go down to the wire before being submitted for approval in the last Cabinet meeting before Christmas next week.

The latest update to the current plan showed that 23 per cent of targets due for completion by the end of September were missed. Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton will bring the State’s first haulage strategy before Cabinet, and Mr Ryan will give an update on electric vehicles strategy – both of which are delayed measures in this year’s CAP.

In a crowded agenda, the Cabinet will also consider proposals from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman on international surrogacy. They will bring amendments to the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill providing for future international surrogacy arrangements and the recognition of parentage in respect of certain past surrogacy arrangements, both domestic and international.

Elsewhere, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney is expected to brief colleagues on the annual report on Emergency Planning for 2021 and also update Cabinet on Ireland’s term on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which is coming to a close.

Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys is due to bring An Garda Síochána’s 2021 annual report.

A report on skills needed for the residential construction and retrofitting sectors up to 2030 is also expected to be brought by Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris.

The Solas-commissioned report sets out how 50,000 skilled workers – some of whom are in place already – will be required across both areas in the years leading up to 2030 to deliver housing and retrofit targets.

Separately, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys is expected to seek approval to publish the first progress report of the Government’s Pathway to Work employment strategy.

It is understood the report will show there are now a record 2.55 million people in employment and the jobless rate is lower than pre-pandemic levels.